Delhi to make 33% of cops female to help tackle violence against women in Indian capital

The Indian government says one third of Delhi’s police force will be made up of women. It is the latest move to try and tackle widespread sexual abuse and violence against women in the Indian capital and hopes to make the force, ‘more gender sensitive.’

The decision, taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by the Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will see more women being drafted
into the police force, although the move will apply to the Delhi.

"(The cabinet) today gave its approval for making
reservations of 33 percent for women... in direct recruitment in
non-gazetted posts... of all union territories, including
Delhi," a government statement said, according to AFP.

There are seven union territories in India, including Delhi,
which are partially or wholly administered by the Indian
government, where this legislation will be introduced. The
government also hopes the decision will make the Delhi police
force more gender sensitive.

"It will also instill confidence among women to enable them
to approach the police without hesitation for seeking protection
and assistance as and when required," the government added.

The move to get more women into the Delhi police force will
immediately open up the possibility of between 8,000-9,000 women
being recruited. There is currently an existing backlog of
26,000-27,000 vacancies in the force, the Times of India reports.

The move was welcomed on social media, with many users praising
the Indian government’s stance to improve women’s rights.

"33 percent reservation in police forces for women a good
step taken by central government," Devendranath Yadav added
on the social platform.

The issue of women’s rights in India has been in the headlines
since December 2012, when a 23 year-old student was brutally gang
raped by a group of Indian men on a bus. The medical student
later died from her injuries in hospital.

On Wednesday, in India’s financial capital Mumbai, a 20 year-old
student Pradnya Mandhare was groped and attacked by a drunk man,
who was also reported to be drug addict in broad daylight at
Kandivli station. She took things into her own hands and took the
man to the police. Mandhare added that even though around 50
people witnessed the incident, not one person offered to help.

“People stopped to stare, but no one bothered to even ask
what was going on. Since the man was filthy, I found it difficult
to even touch him. I caught him by his hair and dragged him to
the Government Railway Police,” she said, according to NDTV
news.